System and method for aligning material onto a guide roll

ABSTRACT

A variable acoustic absorption banner roller system is provided, including a frame assembly having a first and second end, and a top and bottom end; a guide roller for storing a multi-panel banner, the guide roller located toward the top end of the frame assembly, rotatably attached to, and extending from the first to the second end of the frame assembly; a fabric compression roller for pressing the multi-panel banner together prior to being furled onto the guide roller; first and second alignment rollers for aligning the multi-panel fabric banner during deployment and furling; and a closure panel assembly having a bottom roller for rotatably engaging the multi-panel fabric banner during deployment and furling.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/506,335, filed on Jul. 11, 2011, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a system and method for aligning material onto a guide roll and in particular to a variable acoustic absorption banner (“VAAB”) roller system and method for aligning the VAAB onto a guide roll.

2. Description of the Related Art

There are a variety of assemblies for aligning a single panel of lightweight fabric material onto guide rolls. These assemblies are used, for example, to wind projection screens and window shades. A common characteristic of these assemblies is that the width of the material is commonly greater than its length when the material is partially or fully unfurled during operation. In a few cases, the length of the material may be as much as twice the width but usually not much more. This length to width ratio, together with the lightweight nature of the fabric being rolled, and that only a single layer is rolled, allows these known devices to be effective without much misalignment of the material when it is being rolled onto a guide roll or unfurled for operation.

Acoustic absorption systems allow a room to exhibit varying reverberation times, depending upon the use of the room. A long reverberation time is typically created in a room with a large volume and/or predominantly hard, reflective interior surfaces. For example, a room best suited for a choral recital would have a long reverberation time, allowing the natural amplification and blending of sounds to be produced to enhance the musical experience. If, however, that same room is hosting a meeting, the long reverberation time would muddle the intelligibility of the spoken words, sounding “boomy” and creating distracting echoes. Deploying variable acoustic absorption banner systems provides a facility operator with a means to adjust the reverberation time in a room. For example, a room can be designed with a long reverberation time for live music performances, and equipped with variable acoustic banners which, when deployed, can make the same room suitable for speech events or amplified performances and film showings, with this versatility increasing the value and utility of the room.

Existing acoustic absorption systems used for this purpose are either simple drapery on tracks or variable acoustic absorption banners (“VAAB”). The VAAB's have at least two advantages. First, VAAB's are more effective in reducing the reflection of low frequency sound, which has been proven by ASTC testing. Second, VAAB's can store vertically, which eliminates the need for providing floor-space-consuming storage areas for the drapery.

Acoustic absorption systems, especially relatively longer multi-layered VAAB's, however, tend to move laterally when being rolled onto and off of a guide roll or motor tube, especially when the ratio of length to width becomes greater than about two times. Therefore, although a superior product from a versatile acoustic standpoint, the manufacture and usage of such VAAB systems has been limited as a result of this misalignment or lateral shifting during operation.

The effectiveness of a VAAB, as currently constructed, derives, in part, from heavy weight fabric, the porous nature of the fabric, the ability of the fabric to be placed under tension without stretching beyond that encountered in the initial assembly, and the creation of a consistent air space between panels of fabric, e.g., a minimum of 3″, between two panels of fabric causing diffusion of the sound energy.

Existing VAAB's, for example, the acouStac® VAAB, available through acouStaCorp LLC, Bronx, N.Y., pulls the fabric up from the bottom of the banner into a stack or drops the fabric into a storage box below. In either case, the volume of space needed to store the banner is substantial, and the space required for the banner to travel is at least three times the 3″ minimum distance or gap between the panels of fabric; a 10″ “chase” is not available or desired.

This has led to the development of a roller VAAB system, such as the acouRoll® VAAB system, also available through acouStaCorp LLC. This VAAB has succeeded in meeting tested performance standards desired by acousticians, due to its use of the proper fabric and specific arrangement of the fabric in terms of a gap between panels, fabric tension and locations placed within the room. The main limitation of the VAAB that rolls up on a guide roll for storage, however, is that in lengths of greater than about 8′, the lateral movement of the fabric as it rolls is very difficult to control and is unpredictable.

Due to this unwanted lateral movement during winding, currently, the most desirable fabric is available only in widths a maximum of 1.5 meters wide in an attempt to avoid the lateral movement. Further, room heights in public assembly spaces, often for effective use, require VAAB's of 20′ long or more and these are difficult to achieve without the unwanted lateral movement during winding of the VAAB.

Guides on the ends of the bottom roller are somewhat capable of keeping the fabric aligned, but over time the fabric curls and then is worn by these types of devices. Other attempts, such as keeping the rolling tube absolutely level, tend to reduce the amount of lateral movement of the fabric when rolled to an acceptable amount. Certain devices allow the rolling tube to be adjusted for level within the assembly. However, these techniques cannot tolerate any variation in the fabric stretch or any degree of out-of-level installation and are cumbersome at best.

Thus, there is a need for a system and method that enables relatively long and wide, multi-panel VAAB's to be rolled onto a guide roller with little or no lateral movement of the VAAB.

SUMMARY

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a variable acoustic absorption banner roller system, comprising a frame assembly having a first end and a second end, and a top end and a bottom end; a guide roller for storing a multi-panel fabric banner, the guide roller located toward the top end of the frame assembly, and being rotatably attached to, and extending from the first end to the second end of, the frame assembly; alignment rollers for aligning the multi-panel fabric banner during deployment and furling, the alignment rollers being rotatably attached to, and extending in a parallel plane from the first end to the second end of, the frame assembly, and positioned at a location spaced below an axis of elongation of the guide roller; and a closure panel assembly having a bottom roller for rotatably engaging the multi-panel fabric banner during deployment and furling.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a variable acoustic absorption banner roller system, comprising a frame assembly having a first end and a second end, and a top end and a bottom end; a guide roller for storing a multi-panel fabric banner, the guide roller located toward the top end of the frame assembly, and being rotatably attached to, and extending from the first end to the second end of, the frame assembly; a fabric compression roller for pressing the multi-panel fabric banner together prior to being furled onto the guide roller, the fabric compression roller being offset from and spaced below an axis of elongation of the guide roller, the fabric compression roller being rotatably attached to, and extending from the first end to the second end of, the frame assembly; first and second alignment rollers for aligning the multi-panel fabric banner during deployment and furling, the alignment rollers being rotatably attached to, and extending from the first end to the second end of, the frame assembly, and spaced below an axis of elongation of the fabric compression roller; and a closure panel assembly having a bottom roller for rotatably engaging the multi-panel fabric banner during deployment and furling.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for aligning a multi-panel variable acoustic absorption banner, comprising: providing a variable acoustic absorption banner roller system; activating a guide roller to begin furling a multi-panel variable acoustic absorption banner; compressing the multi-panel variable acoustic absorption banner prior to encountering the guide roller; whereby compressing the multi-panel variable acoustic absorption banner causes the panels to self-align and precisely position onto the guide roller.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of embodiments of the present invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments encompassed within the scope of the present invention, and, therefore, are not to be considered limiting, for the present invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a variable acoustic absorption banner (“VAAB”) system in a lowered, deployed, operational position in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the roller assembly of the VAAB system of FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the roller assembly of the VAAB system of FIG. 1 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the roller assembly of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an exploded, perspective view of the roller assembly of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an assembled, perspective view of the roller assembly of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an assembled, perspective view of a closure panel assembly having a bottom roller in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of a method of winding a VAAB onto a guide roll in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word ^(may) is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words “include”, “including”, and “includes” mean including but not limited to. To facilitate understanding, like reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate like elements common to the figures. Optional portions of the figures may be illustrated using dashed or dotted lines.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention comprise a system and method for furling and unfurling a multi-panel fabric banner substantially aligned onto and off of a rolling tube or guide roll, with minimal or no linear movement of the banner.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is provided a variable acoustic absorption banner (“VAAB”) rolling system 100. The VAAB rolling system 100 comprises a roller assembly 110 having a housing 112, a multi-panel VAAB 120 and a closure panel assembly 130 having a bottom roller 132. The multi-panel VAAB 120 comprises at least two panels spaced apart by a gap 140 of at least 3 inches. The gap 140 may vary between 3 inches and 10 inches, depending upon the particular acoustic characteristics so desired. The panels of the VAAB 120 can be made from any material that is relatively porous and weighted to achieve a particular acoustic response and roughness. The material is suitable for acoustic absorption, light blocking, thermal insulation, or other purposes. In one embodiment, the material may be a woolen fabric. The width of the panels of the VAAB 120 may range from 26″ to 5 feet wide and 4′ to 24′ feet long.

Referring to FIG. 2, in one embodiment, the roller assembly 210 comprises a frame assembly 220, having a first end and a second end (not shown—See FIG. 4), and a top end 222 and a bottom end 224. The roller assembly 210 also includes a guide roller 226, also referred to herein as a motor tube. The guide roller 226 is used for storing the multi-panel fabric banner 120 and is located toward the top end 222 of the frame assembly 220. The guide roller 226 is rotatably attached to, and extends from the first end to the second end of the frame assembly 220. The guide roller 226 or motor tube is actuated by means of any suitable, known motor linked with suitable, known gears to the shaft of the guide roll 226. The motor is energized by any suitable energy source, such as alternating current, direct current or other type power sources. The guide roller 226 may be actually manually, wired or remotely/wirelessly as well. It should be readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the power required to actuate the guide roller 226 should be sufficient to furl and unfurl varying lengths and widths of banner.

The roller assembly 210 in this embodiment also includes a first alignment roller 228 and a second alignment roller 230. The alignment rollers 228 and 230 are configured and arranged for aligning the multi-panel fabric banner 120 before the banner 120 is furled onto the guide roller 226. The alignment rollers 228 and 230 are also employed during deployment of the banner 120 so the banner 120 aligns with and unfurls substantially evenly down and around the bottom roller 232 of the closure panel assembly 240. The alignment rollers 228 and 230 are rotatably attached to, and extend in a parallel plane from the first end to the second end of the frame assembly 220 and are positioned at a location spaced below an axis of elongation of the guide roller 226. The alignment rollers 228 and 230 serve to align the depth deployed banner 120 and stay in position within the frame assembly 220 during deployment of the banner 120. The closure panel assembly 240 includes the bottom roller 232 for rotatably engaging the multi-panel fabric banner 120 during deployment and furling. The entire closure panel assembly 240 is deployed length wise down through the bottom 224 of the frame assembly 220 as the banner 120 is rolled off the guide roller 226 and past the alignment rollers 228 and 230 for full deployment. The closure panel assembly 240 is configured to level the banner 120 as it is being deployed.

In furling operation, the banner 120 is aligned using alignment rollers 228 and 230 just prior to being received by the guide roller 226. This alignment substantially reduced the banner 120 from linear movement during furling. Similarly, in deployment operation, the banner is aligned using alignment rollers 228 and 230 before it is lengthened through the bottom 224 of the frame assembly 220 of the roller assembly 210.

Referring to FIG. 3, in accordance with another embodiment, there is provided a roller assembly 310. For the sake of clarity, like elements described in detail with respect to FIG. 2 will not be further described herein. It is to be understood that the like elements have the same or similar structure and perform the same or similar functions as described in detail with respect to FIG. 2.

Positioned between the guide roller 336 and the first and second alignment rollers 328 and 330 is a fabric compression roller 360 for pressing the multi-panel fabric banner 120 together prior to being furled onto the guide roller 336. The fabric compression roller 360 is offset from, and spaced below, an axis of elongation of the guide roller 336 and is rotatably attached to, and extending from the first end to the second end of, the frame assembly 320. The first alignment roller 328 remains substantially in the same position as that shown and described in FIG. 2. However, the second alignment roller 330 in this embodiment is not in a parallel plane with the first alignment roller 328. Rather, in this embodiment, the second alignment roller 330 is rotatably attached to the frame assembly 320, downward and toward the bottom roller 332 for aligning the multi-panel fabric banner during deployment and furling. In this new position, the second alignment roller 330 serves to fix the depth deployed banner and also functions as a stored position stop which ensures that the closure panel assembly 340 is aligned to the frame assembly 320 in retracted position.

In addition to that described in connection with FIG. 2, the fabric compression roller 360 is configured and arranged to compress the multi-paneled banner 120 just prior to being rolled on the guide roller 336 such that the fabric aligns with itself and substantially eliminates lateral movement of the banner 120 before it is furled. The fabric compression roller 360 ensures that the fabric is under the necessary amount of tension to improve tracking onto the guide roll 336. The fabric compression roller 360 helps align the two sheets of fabric, in particular if the apparatus is not level when installed. The fabric compression roller (when furling) tends to press together the two sheets of fabric so they are more effectively bound together by friction as the fabric is rolled around the guide roller 336.

In operation, the alignment rollers of both FIGS. 2 and 3, as well as the fabric compression roller 360 (see FIG. 3) stay in position as shown. As the closure panel assembly 340 drops down, a distance (i.e., a depth) approximately equal to the diameter of the main roller of the closure panel assembly is maintained. This distance has been experimentally determined to be important to produce the desired acoustic response.

The fabric in either of the embodiment described in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 is typically one which has sufficient texture, capable of creating a high coefficient of friction. An example would be a heavy weight 100% wool fabric. This helps keep the sheets from slipping past each other as they are wound around the guide roller.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the roller assembly 410 of the embodiment described in detail with respect to FIG. 3. From this view, the first 423 and second 425 ends of the frame assembly are shown. For the sake of clarity, like elements described in detail with respect to FIG. 3 will not be further described herein. It is to be understood that the like elements have the same or similar structure and perform the same or similar functions as described in detail with respect to FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 depicts an exploded perspective view of the embodiment described in detail with respect to FIGS. 3 and 4. For the sake of clarity, like elements described in detail with respect to FIG. 3 will not be further described herein. It is to be understood that the like elements have the same or similar structure and perform the same or similar functions as described in detail with respect to FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 depicts an assembled perspective view of the embodiment described in detail with respect to FIGS. 3 and 4. For the sake of clarity, like elements described in detail with respect to FIG. 3 will not be further described herein. It is to be understood that the like elements have the same or similar structure and perform the same or similar functions as described in detail with respect to FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 depicts a perspective assembled view of the closure panel assembly 740 with the bottom roller 732 and the banner 120. For the sake of clarity, like elements described in detail with respect to FIG. 1 will not be further described herein. It is to be understood that the like elements have the same or similar structure and perform the same or similar functions as described in detail with respect to FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 describes a method for aligning a multi-panel variable acoustic absorption banner, comprising providing a variable acoustic absorption banner roller system as described hereinabove. The steps begin at 810. At step 820, the method provides a VAAD roller system. At step 830, the method activates the guide roller to begin furling a multi-panel variable acoustic absorption banner. At step 840, the fabric compressing roller compresses the multi-panel variable acoustic absorption banner prior to encountering the guide roller; whereby compressing the multi-panel variable acoustic absorption banner causes the panels to self-align and precisely position onto the guide roller, minimizing lateral movement of the banner. The method further comprising aligning the multi-panel variable acoustic absorption banner prior to encountering the fabric compression roller. The multi-panel variable acoustic absorption banner has sufficient weight and porosity, whereby the surface texture is sufficiently rough to substantially minimize lateral movement during furling after being compressed.

An advantage of the VAAB system as hereinabove described is to vary the reverberation time in a space of public assembly by varying the amount of sound absorbing surface material present in the space. It accomplishes this by raising and lowering a banner consisting of, for example, two panels of about 26 ounce, 100% wool. The two panels are held at a consistent distance from each other by positioning rollers.

In one embodiment, a motorized roller stores the fabric when it is desired to be out of sight. With the banners in this stored configuration, the room is more reverberant. The motorized roller when activated in the reverse then lowers the banner, making the room less reverberant.

The consistency of this design allows for acoustic testing permitting design professionals to predict the performance of the banners in a given space. The above-described embodiments have advantages over previously known roller assemblies for at least the structure and functionality described hereinabove.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the present invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. It is understood that various embodiments described herein may be utilized in combination with any other embodiment described, without departing from the scope contained herein. Further, the foregoing description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the present invention.

No element, act, or instruction used in the description of the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the article “a” is intended to include one or more items. Where only one item is intended, the term “one” or similar language is used. Further, the terms “any of” followed by a listing of a plurality of items and/or a plurality of categories of items, as used herein, are intended to include “any of,” “any combination of,” “any multiple of,” and/or “any combination of multiples of” the items and/or the categories of items, individually or in conjunction with other items and/or other categories of items.

Moreover, the claims should not be read as limited to the described order or elements unless stated to that effect. In addition, use of the term “means” in any claim is intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. §112, ¶ 6, and any claim without the word “means” is not so intended. 

1. A variable acoustic absorption banner roller system, comprising: a frame assembly having a first end and a second end, and a top end and a bottom end; a guide roller for storing a multi-panel fabric banner, the guide roller located toward the top end of the frame assembly, and being rotatably attached to, and extending from the first end to the second end of, the frame assembly; alignment rollers for aligning the multi-panel fabric banner during deployment and furling, the alignment rollers being rotatably attached to, and extending in a parallel plane from, the first end to the second end of, the frame assembly, and positioned at a location spaced below an axis of elongation of the guide roller; and a closure panel assembly having a bottom roller for rotatably engaging the multi-panel fabric banner during deployment and furling.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the guide roller is motorized.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the fabric is between 26″ inches and 60″ inches wide.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the fabric is between 4′ feet and 24′ feet long.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the banner fabric is a porous wool material having a rough surface texture.
 6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a fabric compression roller for pressing the multi-panel fabric banner together prior to being furled onto the guide roller, the fabric compression roller being offset from and spaced below an axis of elongation of the guide roller, and above the alignment rollers, the fabric compression roller being rotatably attached to, and extending from, the first end to the second end of, the frame assembly, and wherein the alignment rollers are positioned in different planes.
 7. A variable acoustic absorption banner roller system, comprising: a frame assembly having a first end and a second end, and a top end and a bottom end; a guide roller for storing a multi-panel fabric banner, the guide roller located toward the top end of the frame assembly, and being rotatably attached to, and extending from, the first end to the second end of, the frame assembly; a fabric compression roller for pressing the multi-panel fabric banner together prior to being furled onto the guide roller, the fabric compression roller being offset from and spaced below an axis of elongation of the guide roller, the fabric compression roller being rotatably attached to, and extending from, the first end to the second end of, the frame assembly; first and second alignment rollers for aligning the multi-panel fabric banner during deployment and furling, the alignment rollers being rotatably attached to, and extending from the first end to the second end of, the frame assembly, and spaced below an axis of elongation of the fabric compression roller; and a closure panel assembly having a bottom roller for rotatably engaging the multi-panel fabric banner during deployment and furling.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the guide roller is motorized.
 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the fabric is between 26″ inches and 60 inches wide.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the fabric is between 4 feet and 24 feet long.
 11. The system of claim 7, wherein the fabric is a porous wool material having a rough surface texture.
 12. The system of claim 7, wherein the frame assembly is encased in a housing.
 13. A method for aligning a multi-panel variable acoustic absorption banner, comprising: providing a variable acoustic absorption banner roller system as described in claim 7 hereinabove; activating the guide roller to begin furling a multi-panel variable acoustic absorption banner; compressing the multi-panel variable acoustic absorption banner prior to encountering the guide roller; whereby compressing the multi-panel variable acoustic absorption banner causes the panels to self-align and precisely position onto the guide roller.
 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising aligning the multi-panel variable acoustic absorption banner prior to encountering the fabric compression roller.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the multi-panel variable acoustic absorption banner has sufficient weight and porosity, whereby the surface texture is rough enough to substantially minimize lateral movement during furling after being compressed. 